Laser Tattoo Removal: What You Need To Know.

If you are interested in obtaining more information, please give our office a call at (215) 366-1122.

Laser tattoo removable is one of the most prominently sought after procedures that we offer at Abington Aesthetic & Laser Medical Center. While most people are highly interested in the treatment, just as many contact the practice seeking information, because they are not all that familiar with what it entails – or with facts about laser tattoo removal in general.

With a decade (and change) of experience, there are few professionals in the greater Philadelphia area who could rival Dr. Evan Zelinger in terms of quality laser tattoo removal. Laser tattoo removal at Abington Aesthetic & Laser Medical Center is performed accurately and safely on tattoos on almost any part of the body, on any skin tone, and on any size tattoo of nearly any color ink(s)*.

Pricing is, typically, the first thing prospective patients inquire about. At our facility, treatments are priced by the size of the tattoo/tattoos. A tattoo less than the size of a quarter will run about $250 per treatment. A tattoo that is about the size of the palm of your hand will be around $400 per treatment. Any tattoo in between that range will be about $325 per treatment. Tattoos can take anywhere from 3 to 9 treatments to remove, depending on a number of factors.

Firstly, the color (or colors) of ink on the tattoo will affect how many treatments are required to remove the tattoo. For instance, black inks and red inks are the easy to remove*. Whereas, blues, greens, purples, and yellows are more difficult to remove. We actually have a specific laser at our facility used to target the harder-to-remove colors, like blues and greens.

Secondly, the age of the tattoo affects the number of necessary treatments. It is probably easy to summate that an older tattoo will, normally, require less treatments than a tattoo that is more recent*.

Thirdly, the artist that created the tattoo affects how many treatments a patient will be looking at in their own specific course of laser tattoo removal. Professional tattoos are usually more difficult to remove. Tattoos created by amateurs, in, say, a garage setting, or a stick & poke tattoo, are easier to remove – using these amateur methods, the ink does not go as deep into the skin*.

Lastly, the factor that affects the number of treatments that a patient’s course will contain is, as just mentioned, how deep into the skin the ink has gone. Unfortunately, there is no sure way for Dr. Evan Zelinger to tell exactly how deep into the skin it has gone just by looking at it. That being said, with a consultation, he may be able to give you a smaller approximate range than the previously stated 3 to 9 treatment course*.

Another aspect of laser tattoo removal patients oft ask about are how the procedure actually works. The lasers at our practice are, by design, created to target the various ink colors by using different wavelengths of light, that vary depending on the color(s) of the tattoo(s) being treated. When Dr. Evan Zelinger uses the laser on the tattoo, the speedy bursts of light will cause fractures in the ink of your tattoo. Your immune system plays a huge part in the rest. It will remove the fractured fragments of ink over the weeks/months following treatment*.

It is important to note that Dr. Evan Zelinger performs laser tattoo removal treatments over a three month interval*. This significantly reduces the risk of scarring, and permanent damage to the skin*. This also creates a “more bang for your buck” scenario – the tattoo removal process will continue to take place after all that time*. So, waiting three months, or even four months, is beneficial to seeing the most you can out of just one laser tattoo removal treatment*.

Patients often come into the office, either prior to their consult or their first treatment, and ask about whether or not it hurts. Truthfully, it is not pleasant, but it is not terrible. I always tell them that if you are able to withstand the pain of getting a tattoo, you can handle the pain of having it removed. The pain from laser tattoo removal is on par with that of getting a tattoo, it’s just a different brand of pain/discomfort. It has been likened to the sensation of having a rubber band snapped against your skin repeatedly – so, not pleasant, but not unbearable. Like receiving tattoos, the level of pain/discomfort a person experiences also depends on the location of the tattoo, and his/her own personal pain tolerance. A topical numbing agent may be prescribed if the prospect of this level of pain/discomfort is too intimidating.

The good news is that recovery isn’t all that bad. The tattoo will redden, the area may swell, there may be some blistering – but all in all, this does not last very long.

Arguably, the most important thing that prospective and current patients want to know is: will the tattoo be completely gone? In most cases, yes, after completing the course of treatments recommended by Dr. Evan Zelinger, the tattoo will be undetectable. However, since the ink used in a tattoo is, unfortunately, not regulated by the FDA – and because the doctor cannot tell how deep into the skin the ink has gone, there are no results that can be guaranteed. That being said, Dr. Evan Zelinger has had multitudes of success rendering tattoos completely undetectable on the skin. If you’re curious, you can always ask him to present you with tattoos of past patients that have walked away with a clean slate of skin.

If you have read all of this and feel as though you are ready to begin ridding yourself of your unwanted tattoos, give the office a call at (215) 366-1122 to book your consult, or simply do so online, at Abington Aesthetic & Laser Medical Center today!